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(No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 1.

R. GORNALL.

APPARATUS TO BE USED WITH TRACTION GABLES. No. 325,168. Patented Aug. 25, 1885.

welder jays (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. GORNALL. APPARATUS TO BE USED WITH TRACTION GABLES. No. 325,168. Patented Aug. 25, 1885.

j T V M H U A x y QI (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

R. GORNALL. APPARATUS TO BE USED WITH TRACTION GABLES. No. 325,168. Patented Aug. 25, 1885.

f M M llnrrnn STATES PATENT- OFFICE.

RICHARD GORNALL, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF NINETY ONE-HUNDREDTHS TO GEORGE A. DUBREUIL AND JACOB HEOHT, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS TO BE USED WITH TRACTION-CABLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 325,168, dated August 2 1 Application filed September 10, 1853. Renewed July 25?, 1885.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD GORNALL, of Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ap- 5 paratus to be Used with Traction Cables; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to apparatus to be used in connection with the driving-drums for tracro tion-cables for street-railways and similar pu rposes.

The object of the invention is, first, to provide a simple, safe, and efficient mechanism to compensate for the expansion and contraction of the cable, and, second, to provide a simple, safe, and efficient mechanism to arrest the motion of the driving mechanism in case the cable should break.

In the accompanying drawings I have illus' 2o trated the principle of my invention and the special details whereby it may be practically applied.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a front view of the weight and its connections. Fig. 3 is a top View of the same. Fig. 4 is a section on line 00 x of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the drive-wheel and driving mechanism. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the same; and

Fig. 7 is a section on line y 3/, Fig. 6.

My invention is designed especially for street-railways, and is shown as adapted to the form of tractioncable shown in an application filed by me in the United States Patent 5 Office on the 5th day of July, 1883, though it is applicable to other positions where an endless cable is used to draw vehicles of any description. \Vhere such endless cables are of any considerable length they are subject to expan- 0 sion and contraction, and require some means whereby the proper tension of the cable may be maintained. I provide for this contraction and expansion by means of an adjustable driving drum or wheel mounted upon a frame 5 sliding in suitable ways, and drawn back to put sufficient strain upon the cable by means of a spring or weight which will yield when the cable contracts and draw when the cable expands, thus maintaining the cable always under the same tension in all circumstances.

(X0 model.)

In the drawings, A represents the drivingwheel for the endless drivingcable. It is mounted on the frame B, its shaft 1 turning in suitable bearings in said frame. The upper part, b, of the frame moves in ways 2 2, in this case placed horizontally, and supported upon columns C O, in suitable position, at the end of the section of the road. The lower part of the frame consists of hangers 3 3, through the lower ends of which passes the main driving shaft D. The hangers slide upon the shaft as the frame moves back and forth. On the lower end of the shaft 1 is a beveled gear, 4., which meshes into another bevel-gear,5, splincd to the shaft D. By this 6 means power from any suitable motor, applied to the shaft D, will turn the drivingwhcel A,whatever be the position of the frame B upon the shaft and way. The shaft and way are of sufficient length to meet all the re quirements of expansion and contraction possible in the cable.

In order to maintain the proper strain upon the cable, the frame is drawn in the direction opposite to the strain of the driving-cable by 7 5 means of a cable, 6,which is carried over suitable pulleys, and is connected to a weight, E, which is sufficient to put the required amount of strain upon the driving-cable. Any suitable form of spring may be used instead ofthe 3 weight; but I prefer to use the weight as being simpler and acting uniformly in all positions.

It may sometimes happen that cables of this class may break when in use. In case of such 8 5 an accident it would be desirable under all circumstances, and especially if the cable were used in a suspended position above the way, to arrest at once the driving mechanism, and, in connection with the device described above, 0 I have devised an improved mechanism for automatically arresting the driving mechanism in case of breakage of the cable. I accomplish this result by disconnecting the driving-shaft from the gearing of the shaft which carries 5 the driving drum or wheel. The bevel-gear 5 is fixed upon a sleeve, and space is left between the end of this sleeve and the adjacent hanger 3 to allow the bevelgear to be moved longitudinally upon the main shaft D out of engagement with the bevel-gcar4. The bevelgear 5 is moved by means of a lever, G, pivoted upon the frame which carries the main drum. The lower end of this lever extends alongside the sleeve of bevel'gear 5 between the face of the wheel and a collar, 7, on the end of said sleeve. The lever G is drawn by the spring 8, and when so drawn moves the lower end of the leversufficiently to strike the collar 7 and push the gear out of engagement as aforesaid. Movement of the upper end of the lever G in the direction opposite to that in which it is drawn by the spring pushes the bevel-gear 5 into engagement with the gear 4. It is locked in this position by means of a dog, H, which is pivoted upon a lever, K, said lever being pivoted on a stud set in one of the hangers 3. One arm, 9, of the dog bears against the face of the hanger, and the other arm, 10, is connected by means of a strap, 11, to the safety-dogs of the weight, as hereinafter ex plained. A link, 12, connects the lever Kto the upper end of the lever G. The lever K is moved to draw the upper end of the lever G against the tension of the spring by pressing the arm 10 of the trigger H to the left, as the apparatus is represented in Fig. 1. This forces down the arm 9 and locks the parts in a position shown in the. said figure.

In order to hold the bevel-gear 5 more securely in position I provide a sliding bolt, 13, which is connected to a slotted arm, 14, of the lever G by means of a pin, the arm 14 being directly over the space between the sleeve 7 and the inner face of the hanger when the bevel-gears are in engagement, and as the lever G is moved to throw the gear 5 into engagement with the gear 4 the bolt 13 is pushed down into the space between the end of the sleeve and the hanger. The end of the bolt fills this space and holds the gears in engagement. The lower end of the lever G has sufficient' play between the bevel-gear 6 and the collar 7 to allow the bolt 13 to rise out of the space aforesaid before the lower end of the saidlever bears against the collar 7 and begins to push back the gear. Ordinarily the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, and the strap 11 extends by the side of the strap 6 over the same pulleys to the weight, as shown in Fig. 2,. in which figure both straps are repre sented as passing over the pulley L. I prefer to make these straps of steel, like the driving cable described in my application before referred to 5 but they may be made of any suitable material. The strap 6 is represented in the figure last named as connected to the safety-dogs 15 by means of a link, 16, which is attached to a block, 17, to which the inner ends of the dogs 15 are pivoted. The same bolt which connects the levers to the block may hold also the end of strap 11 and link 16. The weight slides between vertical guides M M, and the safety-dogs act upon rack-bars like an ordinary elevator. An ordinary spring, 18, forces down the ends of the dogs 15 whenever the breaking of the cable allows the weight to drop. As the strap 11 is attached to the ends of the safety-dogs, there is sufficient movement to their inner ends when they are thrown into engagement with the racks, by means of the spring, to draw upon the dog H, lift it out of connection with the hanger, thus allowing the spring 8 to draw upon the upper end of the dog G, raise the bolt 13, and throw the gear 5 out of engagement. This will occur, manifestly, only when the weight is suddenly released, as by the breaking of the cable.

The slow movement by expansion and contraction will allow the weight to slide up and down without effect upon the safety-dogs or their spring. I may use upon the main shaft D a balance-wheel, N, and the crank may be applied directly to the shaft.

It will be understood that the strain of the cable is in line with the way and to the left as the apparatus is shown in Fig. 1.

I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the form of the carriage, nor the precise construction and arrangement of the gearing whereby the main driving-shaft is connected to the shaft of the driving drum or wheel; nor do I limit myself to the precise construction of the lever and its connections whereby the gears are disconnected in case of breakage.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A driving drum or wheel mounted upon a frame moving on suitable ways in line with the strain of the cable, a main driving-shaft in parallel line with the ways, a gear-wheel splined upon the main driving shaft and held in connection with gearing upon the shaft of the main driving wheel or drum, and a weight connected to the frame, whereby the cable is kept under tension and expansion and contraction allowed, substantially as described.

2. A driving drum or wheel mounted upon a frame on suitable ways in line with the strain of the cable, and connected to a weight acting against the strain of the cable, a gearwheel splined upon the main driving-shaft, held in connection with the gearing upon the shaft of the wheel or drum by means of a trigger and intermediate mechanism, said trigger being connected to the safety-dogs of the weight, whereby the driving-shaft is disconnected from the drum by the breakage of the cable, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the carriage B, the driving,wheel or drum A, with its shaft and bevelgear, and the bevel-gear splined on the main driving-shaft, engaging with the gear of the drum-shaft, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the driving drum or IIO wheel having a bevel-gear on its shaft en-' ed as described, and carrying the drivingdrum connected. by gearing to the main shalt, thelever G, connected to a trigger, 10, mounted upon the lever K, and connected to the weight in the manner described.

6. In connection with the described frame, its drum and gears, all adapted to move upon the main shaft, the lever G and its trigger, in combination with the bolt 13, acting in connection with the lever and the end of the sleeve, substantially as described.

7. In combination with the drivingdrum of an endless cable, a carriage for said drum moving on suitable ways, and connected to a sliding gear on the main driving-shaft, with 15 a weight connected to said frame, and with safety-dogs adapted to engage in rack-bars in the guides of said weight, whereby the cable iskept under constant and uniform strain, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD G ORNALL.

XVitnesses:

L. W. SEELY, J 01m 13. THOMPSON. 

